X-2 was pretty cringe worthy for me story and dialogue wise, but the game play was fantastic!
X-2 was pretty cringe worthy for me story and dialogue wise, but the game play was fantastic!
I get that. I only ask because she had previously commented on how Tales of Vesperia was too political, while I would consider Suikoden II way more political than that game ever was. Even with the buffer of dealing with individuals... I guess it is probably just different perception between the two of us - causes me massive disconnect, is all. xDOriginally Posted by Skyblade
While it's heavily political, you can follow the story just by following the individual stories of the main characters. Their friendship and clashes mirror the political drama, which makes it easier to follow than the interaction of major power blocks. A personal story, told on a grand scale.
Final Fantasy X-2 is a fantastic game! I don't think I've spent more time on any other FF game, much less have beaten ANY other game nearly as much times as I did FFX-2. It's just that much fun.
And while I didn't care for the main story at all, the side stories in all the different places in Spira were pretty neat. Plus, Creature Create is addictive as all hell and had some good stories among the different Fiend Tales, too.
6. Suikoden V
Don't know what to tell you Shauna. I had a hard time remembering who was who in Tales of Vesperia that wasn't the main cast. Like the guy who had the um.. dungeon thing going on, I could never remember who he was or where he was position wise, or even what his name was vs other political figures, so it got really confusing when they were talking about like "such and such did this" and I didn't know who they were talking about or what impact it would have. Don't really know what else to say
Suikoden V follows the Prince of Falena and his family and knights. A large part of the game is the Sacred Games event, in which people compete against each other in a gladiator style competition to find out who will marry our hero's little sister and become King and leader of the Knights. Unfortunately two of the favoured winners is pretty skeezy opposing political factions, and pretty soon the Prince and his family have some pretty intense things to deal with.
This game is played similar to most Suikoden games. You have to try to recruit the 108 Stars of Destiny and you get your own headquarters, where you can participate in mini games and such depending on who is recruited, as well as shop and do other things. Magic takes the form of Runes which can be equipped on characters. There are also duel and war battles that kind of operate like rock-paper-scissors. This game has 75 characters usable in battle including non-stars of destiny and guests, with parties consisting of 6 members at a time.
General impressions:
It was really hard deciding between this one and Suikoden II. They're pretty close to even for me, but this one beat it out by a tiny bit. I love the story, I love the characters, the headquarters was beautiful, it was well told, and the game was a lot of fun to play. It had some very intense moments to it that left me on the edge of my seat and the world was absolutely beautiful. My main complaints would be that the pacing near the beginning is very slow and it takes a while to really get going (although that does help set the stage pretty well) and it's not the best for beginners because it's one of the harder ones (if not the hardest) as far as character recruitment goes.
Story:
Excellent story. It's quite long but because of that you can really feel things building and changing as you go. This game did a better job of keeping me guessing as to what was going on and where I was storywise than the others. In the others I always knew when the betrayal would happen and when I would get my headquarters, but this one changed things up quite a bit as far as pacing. The story itself had some amazingly touching moments, a lot of suspense, and it did a great job of setting the tone for how things were doing. Amazing story.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is pretty good. It's very Suikoden so if you like that style of gameplay, you'll like this one too. I liked how the big war battles took place on both sea and land and I enjoyed managing those more than in most of the other games. The game overall was quite easy, but the recruiting as I mentioned is one of the harder ones and some of the characters can be downright frustrating to get if you missed some simple little step at some point. The mini-games weren't as fun, but overall this game was really good.
World:
Beautiful. My favourite Suikoden world and one of my favourite video game world overall. It might help that so many places were near water. I can't really think of one area I disliked, even the grey stone wall places still had beautiful surroundings. There was even a town made up of like joined little boats. The whole world was absolutely gorgeous, ranging from beautiful city to mountain town. Loved it. I can't even think of a favourite spot there were just so many good ones.
Characters:
This game had a very strong core cast that really made me feel for them and what they were going through. Some of the background characters didn't stick out as much and could be pretty forgettable, but overall a really strong cast and fun to use.
Favourite character: Miakis KrMU9Wg.jpg
Honourable mentions: Luserina, Haswar, Lyon GmGjl8t.jpgDlgQjdZ.jpgQw0WqX4.jpg
Miakis was just an adorable badass who was awesome at her job of being a body guard, while also remaining bright and upbeat. Which made her sad moments that much more touching. Luserina was a sweetheart who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. Haswar was a sweet lady and kind of like the family member I wish I had but never did. Lyon was loyal and strong and courageous, so it was hard not to like her.
Overall an awesome game and a great example of the series. Fun to play, strong story, great central cast of characters, and absolutely stunning world to explore. Beware the recruitment though, they didn't make it easy this time around.
No need to defend yourself. I was just curious.
5. Tales of Symphonia
Time for the top 5Only two days left
Tales of Symphonia follows a young girl named Colette on her quest to regenerate the world as per an age old ritual that allows their world to prosper. Before she leaves though, her friends Lloyd and Genis get in to some trouble at the local human ranch and are in some serious trouble.
This game plays similar to other Tales games. You attack with a button and use techs with another. Attack restores your TP, as does ending the fight. You can also perform combo moves of sorts. You can cook by using recipes you've found if you have the right ingredients and you gain control of a number of different vehicles throughout the game. There are a total of 9 playable characters with 4 usable in battle at a time.
General impressions:
By the time I'd started playing this game I had played a few other Tales games and was pretty excited to see what this one was like. Especially since it's one of the more popular and well-liked ones. Sure enough, this game exceeded my hopes and it quickly made it's way in to one of my top spots. This game managed to give me the same butterfly in the stomach excitement as my top game on this list, something that very few other games have ever accomplished. The game had me hooked almost instantly and I loved every minute. I suppose my biggest complaint would be the pacing could be a bit off at times and some of the dungeons were frustrating.
Story:
Excellent story. First thing it made me think of was how similar it was to Final Fantasy X, but, to me, it was much better told. It could be because it was actually a deconstruction of the “chosen one” type of story that is present in X, but it was much more involving and interesting to me. The actual pilgrimage part actually ends pretty quickly before they get in to the more deep moral implications of having a “chosen one” and what that would mean. (SPOILER)One of them is constantly plagued with doubt, worry, and inadequacy issues while trying hard to put on a brave front, despite the incredible toll the whole thing is taking on her body, and the other one acts tough but is actually deeply unhappy and suicidal. I was also terrified and interested in the human ranches and what those meant, (SPOILER)and I found the tie in to a second world and them competing for resources really interesting. The story was very deep and had many layers to it, which I really liked.
Gameplay:
It's still fun because it's a Tales game, but it is a bit clunkier and less polished than the later entries on the list. I did once again enjoy being able to select a character to use in battle and having another one on the map. I had more fun doing the cooking in this game than the other, and overall I would say it was easier. Some of the dungeons were long and annoying, but the game in general was not too difficult and it didn't take much level grinding.
World:
Some absolutely gorgeous locations and some I didn't like as much, but there was good variety and some really unique areas, especially some of the dungeons. But overall it doesn't make the strongest impression.
Character:
This is a Tales game, so a very strong point. The characters all interact with each other and there are relationship values. What I liked is that every character had a depth to them and a strong backstory. None of them were cliches although some seemed to start out that way. They were all well-written and I liked almost all of the characters.
Favourite character: Colette d2oNHgp.jpg
Honourable mentions: Sheena, Lloyd oW1OYlz.jpgyrFikzK.jpg
I like Colette because she was just the sweetest and most selfless person. She tried to stay strong for everyone despite what was happening, (SPOILER)which made the stuff happening quite heartbreaking. Sheena I liked in personality because she had a sweet heart, but I did hate using her in battle sadly. Lloyd seemed a bit dumb and naive but over time he shows he's quite intelligent and resourceful and he sticks up for what he believes in and his friends. There were a lot of good characters so it was hard to narrow down the list.
Overall great game with an amazingly told story, a good world, fun gameplay, and an awesome cast of characters. The game had a lot of depth to it and it got me excited to play in a way very few others have. Great example of the genre and the series.
Oh god oh god Suikoden II and V yesssss both all-time classic video games that everyone should play!
Amateurs...
/struts off
I enjoyed Symphonia a ton, but it was kind of draggy at times and felt sort of like it lasted forever even though it really only lasted about 50 hours. Very deep story and gameplay though. Still liked Graces f a bit better.
I'm discussing my 108, er, 111 favorite games of all time in THIS THREAD so go check it out and join the conversation!
ToS was really good, but I felt like it was just a shorter, lesser version of ToD2. I didn't like Zelos either (SPOILER)and always made sure to kill him
4. Dark Cloud 2
Dark Cloud 2 follows our heroes Max, a young inventor, and Monica, a girl from the future, travel through time to stop the evil Emperor Griffin from being evil and stuff.
Both of your heroes have two types of weapons, long and short range. Short range weapons can be used by pressing X and long ranged can be used by pressing L1+X. The characters don't level up, but you can find treasures to increase their health and defense. Weapons can be improved and also evolve in to new weapons if certain requirements are fulfilled. Weapons also have WHP, and unlike in the previous Dark Cloud, they will not break if they reach zero, but they will be unusable. Monica can also transform in to monster, which will allow her to talk to other monsters of the same type. Max can control the Ridepod, which can be used for stronger monsters, although it has fuel that needs to be replenished. Dungeon floors also have medals for completing certain tasks which can be redeemed for items. A guest character can accompany the party for added benefits. Like the previous Dark Cloud game, world building is a big part of the game. You'll obtain geostones which contain things like houses and buildings and you can move people in to them, although some are picky about what type of house they'll live in. Most towns are made this way, making them very customizable, although certain conditions will need to be fulfilled.
General impressions:
Dark Cloud 2 is a big step up from Dark Cloud. It improved things like the thirst bar, the weapons breaking, and the characterization. There are far less characters now, which I don't like, but the two heroes are likeable and have good development. Even the guest characters are sometimes well fleshed out. The world building is much more flexible and fun, although the actual areas are less interesting to me. I like the time travel aspect, but they didn't do much with the future, which was a shame. The story is campy but interesting and it has some very touching and engaging moments. It has a ton of fun stuff to do, like photography and inventing and Spheda in the levels that don't make you want to break stuff. When I was younger I used to take pictures and pretend I was writing an in game newspaper with it. It was just a lot of fun.
Story:
The story as I mentioned is pretty campy and it has enough plot holes to look like Swiss cheese, but it was still interesting to me. I always enjoy seeing what happens next, and even if its not the strongest story, I find it's beautifully told. Later in the game it gets even better when we find out (SPOILER)the almighty Emperor Griffin is one of the cute little moon bunnies. But somehow it comes off as even creepier and scarier. There were some genuinely touching moments, like Shingala and Max and his mother.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is a lot of fun and there's always something to do if you want a break from the main story. Build up your weapons, take pictures, invent, go fishing, see what funny things the monsters have to say, customize your ridepod, spheda, collecting medals, customizing your towns, recruiting new people, and so on. There's just so much fun stuff to do. And the main game is fun, the battles are easy to get in to. The monster badges are painful to grow but fun if you just use them to talk to monsters. There's a lot more freedom to the world building which I thought was a huge improvement too.
World:
The world is very pretty and has some great areas and dungeons. Palm Brinks is lively and beautiful, and there's enough diversity in how the areas look to make them all feel fresh and new. The future was kind of a wasted opportunity and I didn't enjoy those areas nearly as much as the regular world. My favourite place was Veniccio because of its gorgeous spot on the beach, and its future version, Luna Lab, has some of the best music in the game.
Characters:
Although I'm not a fan of so few playable characters, I found them very well written and likeable. Both main characters were fun to use and I liked both of their personalities and what they brought to the table. There were so many interesting guest characters that it made me actually care about finding and making the right home for them. So while it wasn't the strong point of the game for me, it was still a positive.
Overall, fun gameplay, a ton of stuff to do, likeable characters, customizable world, and some wonderfully touching moments. One of my favourite games to play. And different outfits are always a plus.
So tomorrow we end this list with my top 3 favourite games of all time ever. I have my number 3 review written up already, but my top 2 are special to me so I'm going to write the reviews as I post them up for a change. That means they will be long and less coherent than usual, but I hope you'll all still enjoy it. I'm a bit sad and happy that this list is ending, it's been much fun.
See you tomorrow for our big finale!
Heck yeah DC2!!!!! Spheda was the best thing ever. There was so much cool stuff in the Dark Cloud games. It would be sweet if they came out with another one b/c I'd buy it instantly. Confirmations for DC3 come and go so I wish it'd be official already.
I really like the stories and characters in the Tales games. But in both the ones I've played so far (Abyss and Symphonia), I just get to a point where I go "why the hell are the mechanics so annoyingly complicated", and I give up.
I still have yet to find anyone who has played that game who actually does anything with the Cooking mechanics.
My friend Delzethin is currently running a GoFundMe account to pay for some extended medical troubles he's had. He's had chronic issues and lifetime troubles that have really crippled his career opportunities, and he's trying to get enough funding to get back to a stable medical situation. If you like his content, please support his GoFundMe, or even just contribute to his Patreon.
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Ugh I wish they'd just come out with it alreadyI'd be so happy if they did, it's an awesome series
You enjoyed the cooking, yes. But did you figure out who specialized in what? What dishes people liked, who crafted what well, what bonuses they all gave?Ugh I wish they'd just come out with it already
I had more fun doing the cooking in this game
My friend Delzethin is currently running a GoFundMe account to pay for some extended medical troubles he's had. He's had chronic issues and lifetime troubles that have really crippled his career opportunities, and he's trying to get enough funding to get back to a stable medical situation. If you like his content, please support his GoFundMe, or even just contribute to his Patreon.
He can really use a hand with this, and any support you can offer is appreciated.
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